Covalent Bonds
by rrj2
Summary: Approximately eleven years after leaving Beacon Hills, Liam returns to reunite with his alpha and deal with two new supernatural threats. Meanwhile, Stiles struggles with a big decision.
1. Chapter 1

Hello and thanks for dropping by. This story is set in the same continuity as my other three Teen Wolf stories, all of which conform to the show's continuity. Reading my previous stories isn't necessary to understand this one, but I should explain that Peter is an alpha again and I've developed his and Stiles' platonic relationship a bit in two of my previous stories.

* * *

Liam Dunbar's first day of work at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital felt ordinary. The memories he had there, good and bad, were pushed aside to make way for his responsibilities as a physical therapist. He was getting ready to leave when someone suddenly grabbed him and pulled him into a tight hug, which nearly made Liam topple over.

"Hey!" Scott said.

"Hey," Liam responded. "I'm sorry I didn't call yesterday. I got in too late."

"Did packing take longer than you expected?"

"Yeah, and more tiring than I expected," said Liam. "At least I wasn't late for work this morning."

"It's about time you got a job here. What took you so long?"

"I wasn't sure I wanted to work in the same hospital as my dad and I wanted to see what else was on the west coast."

"Well, you're here now. Are your parents happy you're back?"

"Yeah, but I think they're already looking forward to me finding an apartment soon and giving them back their space. How's the clinic?"

"Really good," Scott responded. He and Liam continued walking towards the exit. "Doctor Deaton is thinking about retiring again, so I might be running the place, soon. I'm trying to get him to wait. I don't think I have the business sense for that, yet."

"Hey, are you still in contact with Hayden?"

"We lost touch a few years ago. I feel kind of bad about thar. You still think about her?"

"Not really," Liam answered. "I only just thought about her because I was thinking about the pack. I don't even have her number anymore. How often do you get to see Stiles and Lydia?"

"They come around maybe once or twice a month. I'll ask them to visit this weekend. We'll catch up."

Liam noticed a poster about fire safety. "That is the second poster I've seen after the billboard and a street sign. Has there been a fire problem around here?"

Scott laughed. "No, Jordan Parrish is on vacation with his family. The town's just being extra cautious since he won't be here to deal with any fires."

The pair arrived at Liam's car.

"How are Malia and the daughters?"

"Good. You should come by before the weekend and see them."

Elsewhere, a family of four was also having an ordinary day.

"Jenna, I am tired of cleaning the walls after you. Stop drawing on them."

The front door opened.

"Greg, is that you?"

"Yeah, Ellen," Greg answered. "I took off work a little early."

"I'm hearing those sounds again. Are you sure we don't have a mouse problem?"

"Where are you hearing the noises?"

"From the floorboards," Ellen answered.

"There's nothing in or under the floorboards, except the basement."

"Well, would you re-check the basement?"

"Daddy, don't go to the basement," a young boy warned. "The straw girl is there."

"Taron, it's fine. You don't need to go down with me."

"Dad . . ."

Greg Lammin shushed his son and proceeded down into the basement. Taron backed away from the door. Suddenly, Greg screamed. Ellen rushed to the basement door, only to have it slam shut before she could reach it. She grabbed the doorknob and pulled as hard as she could, but the door wouldn't budge. Taron ran to the front door, intending to leave the house.

"Mom, the door won't open."

Ellen ignored Taron as she continued trying to open the door. She screamed for her husband.

"Mom!"

Thursday night arrived a few days later, and Liam was at the new McCall household with Scott and his family. Lydia and Stiles eventually joined them.

Liam first hugged Lydia, who was holding a pie. "Professor Martin, you're showing."

"Yes," Lydia replied. "We were aiming for a late May or early June delivery so I won't have to deal with students and a baby at the same time. I think the timing will work out."

Liam shook Stiles' hand whose other hand held a casserole.

"Scott said that you guys aren't giving anything up by coming tonight instead of tomorrow."

"We're not," Stiles answered. "Lydia doesn't teach classes on Fridays and I just closed a big case after working thirteen days straight on it, so I'm taking some time off."

Liam noticed a slight limp from Stiles. "What happened to your leg?"

"I got shot last week. I should be back to 100% soon. It's not a problem."

"If you were a werewolf, you'd have healed by now," Liam joked.

A quiet groan of frustration escaped Stiles' lips. "Don't get me started."

"You're getting some pressure for that?" Liam asked. He glanced at Scott.

"Don't look at me," Scott said with a smile. "I'm not the one who's been calling him every day since he got shot."

"Peter Hale," Stiles explained before Liam asked. "He wants me to ask Scott to turn me. I've started looking over my shoulder periodically in case Peter decides to take this matter into his own hands. Anyway, how have you been this week?"

"I've been good, but exhausted. Sometimes, it feels like I never left."

"So what made you finally decide to come back to Beacon Hills?" Lydia asked.

"I . . . This might sound weird, but I just wasn't feeling like myself at the rehab center and then my dad told me about an opening here."

"Well, it's good to have you back. How are Mason and Corey?" Lydia asked.

"They're doing well. They're a little stressed because it's New York City and because it's the business world, but they're holding up. And since they're doing different business things, they can complain about their jobs without driving the other one too crazy."

"I'm surprised so many of our high school romances lasted," Scott remarked.

"I think there's something to be said about the bonds we formed after everything we've been through," said Lydia. "Maisie?" Lydia called out. "Michelle? Come give your uncle and me a hug."

Scott's daughters came running, followed by Malia.

Dinner followed another round of embraces.

"Have you thought about adding to your pack?" Liam asked.

"No, I like what I have now and don't need a bigger pack. I also don't think I should grow my pack just for the sake of growing it," Scott answered.

"Peter does," said Malia. "There seems to always be a new werewolf in his pack."

"And a hellhound is basically a member after marrying one of his betas," Lydia pointed out.

"There's probably a mathematical model that can predict when everyone in Beacon Hills will be in his pack. Lydia?" Stiles joked.

Lydia rolled her eyes.

"Maybe you should step up then," Liam suggested to Scott.

"I might be the true alpha, but Peter can have the dominant pack if he wants. That's fine with me."

"Have you thought about stepping up?" Stiles asked Liam.

"I'm not going to kill anyone just to become an alpha."

Lydia's attention was drawn outside.

"No," Malia complained, understanding the look on Lydia's face. "You two came home to relax."

"What are you picking up?" Stiles asked.

"Desperation," Lydia answered.

Stiles looked at Lydia with an expression she recognized.

"I'm going to go," Lydia said in a tone that did not invite disagreement.

"It sounds like someone could use our help," Scott added.

"I'll stay," said Malia. "You all go and I'll prepare the dessert."

Stiles looked at Lydia and his eyes conveyed concern.

"You'll stay," Lydia told Stiles, repeating her tone. "You'd be no good to us if you're just going to be unnecessarily concerned for our baby. I'll be fine and I will be very careful. We'll both be fine. Trust me. You look after the girls and prepare dessert. You should take a break after working so much."

Scott, Malia, Lydia, and Liam arrived at the Lammin household. Scott turned the doorknob on the front door, but couldn't push it open.

"I don't think it has a second lock," Scott remarked.

Liam transformed into his werewolf state. Malia and Scott followed and the three of them pushed against the door, which finally opened.

"Hello?" Lydia called from outside.

Ellen appeared in the hallway with a shocked expression. She grabbed her two children and ran towards the door. Lydia and Scott stepped aside to let her exit.

"What happened?" Scott asked.

Back at Scott's and Malia's home, Stiles waited for a pie to heat and kept an eye on Maisie and Michelle. The doorbell rang and Stiles opened the door without seeing who the visitor was. Red eyes greeted Stiles.

Peter Hale grabbed Stiles by the throat and after stepping into the house, slammed Stiles against a wall. Peter displayed his sharp fangs and growled as he put one of Stiles' hands by his mouth.

"What are you thinking right now?" Peter asked.

"That you might like some pie," Stiles answered.

Peter's red eyes and fangs disappeared but he kept his hold on Stiles' neck. "What else are you thinking?"

"I know you want me to admit there's a part of me welcoming the bite. You were trying to get a gut reaction that would bring out my subconscious feelings. That didn't happen."

"So what did you feel, then?" Peter asked, letting Stiles go.

"That you might like some pie," Stiles answered.

"You're a horrible person and I wish I killed you that night we met."

"No, you don't," Stiles corrected.

"Kids!" Peter yelled while glaring at Stiles. "Your bio-granddad is here!"

Maisie and Michelle ran up to Peter.

"How are you feeling?" Peter asked Stiles while embracing his granddaughters.

"I'm perfectly fine. I think I'll be walking normally by the end of next week."

"Really?"

"Really," Stiles assured.

"Does it hurt?"

"Not anymore."

"Where is everyone, anyway?"

"Lydia had a thing, so they went to check it out."

Back at the Lammin household, Lydia tried to console Ellen and her children outside while checking the phone line. Meanwhile, Scott, Malia, and Liam checked the basement. Liam noticed Greg's body first and ran to him.

"He doesn't smell of death," Liam noted. He checked Greg's breathing and heartbeats.

"I don't smell anything," Malia concurred.

"He doesn't have a heartbeat and he's not breathing," Liam observed. "What is this?"

Liam was suddenly thrown back against a wall.

"Where did that come from?" Malia asked. She was soon thrown against a wall as well.

Scott bared his fangs and claws and his eyes glowed red. He thought he detected something, but scratch marks started to appear across his face and clothes. Realizing something invisible was in front of him, Scott tackled what he imagined was a humanoid entity, but he ended up on the floor.

"I don't smell or hear anything besides the three of us," Malia said.

"I don't either," Scott added.

"Is that thing gone?" Liam asked.

Scott was suddenly thrown across the basement.

"We should re-group and re-strategize," Liam suggested.

"After we leave," Malia added.

Scott and Malia returned home with Liam and Lydia. They let Ellen and her children stay there while they made arrangements.

Scott offered his new guests food. "I'm sorry about your husband and I know this is difficult, but we would like to find out as much as we can about what happened."

"Do you think we'll ever get to go back home?" Ellen asked. "Can that thing be removed? I want my husband's body."

"I don't know," Scott admitted. "We'd like to help if we can."

"I still remember the first time Greg and I walked into that house with our real estate agent. I remember bringing Jenna in while Greg held the door. I remember Greg bringing Taron in two years later. He was sleeping and I wanted to be, too."

"Taron, you said you could see the straw girl. What does she look like?" Lydia asked.

"The straw is in her hair. She has a pointy nose and her fingers and toes look like claws."

"When did you first notice her?"

"Last year," Taron answered.

"That's when I started to hear those soft sounds," Ellen explained.

"So, this house is basically haunted by something supernatural, right?" Liam said. "There should be a trigger if it suddenly started. I'm sorry if this is a rude and forward question, but have there been any deaths in your family last year or have you heard of any deaths of any previous owners?"

"Not that I know of," Ellen answered. "My sister died four years ago. That's the most recent death in this family. We still keep in contact with the previous owners. They bought the house new and they haven't said anything about anyone dying."

"What about any changes in your family, like school or work?" Stiles asked.

"No," Ellen responded. "The only thing I can think of is Jenna starting to act out."

The doorbell rang.

"That's the cab," Scott said.

"Thank you for your help," Ellen said.

"We'll keep in touch," Scott replied.

Stiles, Liam, and Malia helped Ellen and her children to the cab.

The group then gathered in the living room.

"Anyone think the daughter is somehow causing this?" Liam asked.

"It's a kikimora," Peter explained. "It's not the daughter."

"What's a kikimora?" Malia asked.

"I'll check the Bestiary," said Lydia.

"In folklore, they're house spirits," Peter explained. "They're really just supernaturals that become bonded to a house. If the house is maintained well, the kikimora is healthy and happy. If the house is in bad shape, the kikimora becomes upset and lashes out. Somehow, they get nourishment from a good house. I don't know how. Maybe the Bestiary has more information."

"It definitely felt like someone had rammed against me back there. It's not in the structure, is it?" asked Liam.

"It shouldn't be," Peter responded. "It should just be another shapeshifter resident."

"We couldn't see, smell, or hear anything," Scott explained.

"And there's Greg," Malia added. "He wasn't dead, but he wasn't alive, either."

Peter shrugged. "I've shared all I know about kikimoras. I've only met two and they were in New England, the last I heard."

Later that night, in the basement suite of Noah Stilinski's and Natalie Martin's home, Lydia and Stiles went over the Bestiary.

"Well, this wasn't helpful," Lydia remarked. "This knows less than Peter."

"So, how do we fight something we can't see, hear, or smell?" Stiles pondered.

Lydia looked at Stiles.

"Okay, fine. How do the werewolves fight something they can't see, hear, or smell? Do you think you could have seen the kikimora?"

"I'm not sure and I'd rather not find out."

"Yeah, I'm just wondering about other banshees."

"No one's seen Meredith in years, and I don't think the woman in New Canaan will be helpful, if she's still alive."

The pair heard the front door open on the first floor.

"He's home," Stiles remarked.

"Do you want me to do this with you?"

"No, I'm good," Stiles answered. "I thought you were going to call Malia."

"She can wait."

"I think I should do this alone."

Stiles made his way up the stairs.

"Dad. How was work?" Stiles asked.

"It was okay. It was just a typical day." Noah walked into the living room, followed by Stiles.

"Do you need to take care of anything first?"

"No, sit. You said you wanted to talk, so let's," Noah replied.

"Dad, if you had an opportunity to substantially lengthen your life, would you do it?"

"By becoming a werewolf?" asked Noah.

"Yeah, but let's not consider the werewolf thing right now. Let's just focus on the long life."

Noah sighed. "I'll admit to thinking about this before. I decided that I like who I am. I'm satisfied with who I am, and whatever comes my way, I'll be fine dealing with it as a human. If you're asking me about long life itself, I guess I'd feel the same way. I think I eventually just settled on being whoever I am. However long I've got, it's what I have. I'll take what I can get, and be satisfied with it."

"What if Natalie wanted to extend her life and become a werewolf? What would you do if she asked you to become a werewolf so that you could have a long marriage?"

"I'd probably do it for her."

"You might outlive me," Stiles pointed out.

"Stiles," Noah began.

"I'm sorry. I know this isn't easy to think about. Would you want me to be a werewolf, knowing that I might be safer out in the field if I have those abilities?"

"I would love for you to be able to bounce right back after getting shot or being able to sniff out a threat before getting shot or having a long and healthy life, but being a werewolf itself is something for you to decide, not me and not Scott and definitely not Peter."

Meanwhile, Lydia and Malia spoke over the phone about the kikimora.

"I'm open to any ideas at this point," Lydia declared.

"Can we just burn the house down?" Malia asked.

"It might be better to keep the house intact, and just condemn it. If this kikimora is bonded to the house, we wouldn't want to give it a reason or a means to leave it."

"I've been reading about the original folklore about kikimoras," said Malia. "I thought maybe there would be some truth in those stories that could help us."

"Yeah, same here," Lydia replied. "I found something that might be worth trying, possibly."

Soon, Scott, Liam, and Lydia returned to the Lammin household with Stiles, and Peter pulled up with Derek.

"Stiles, you didn't go in, did you?" Peter asked.

"No, Lydia said I shouldn't, though she wouldn't tell me why, yet."

"It's going to sound stupid if I'm wrong," Lydia explained.

"Why would you think –" Stiles began before being interrupted.

Peter had suddenly grabbed Stiles and threw him onto the ground. He forced a wet rag onto Stiles' face.

Stiles recognized the smell of chloroform. Looking at everyone's faces, he decided to take some deep breaths and eventually went to sleep.

"Was slamming him down like that necessary?" Derek asked.

"That was for another reason," Peter replied. "Scott?"

Scott and Liam dragged Stiles into the house and Lydia retrieved Stiles' bat from their car.

The bat found itself in Scott's hands and Scott knocked Peter and Derek unconscious. Scott and Liam then positioned the two werewolves next to Stiles on a sofa inside.

Later, Stiles stirred awake.

"Well, it's about time," Peter commented. "If you were a werewolf, we could be done by now."

"Is that why you knocked me onto the ground?" Stiles asked. "You wanted me to recognize how nice it'd be to be a werewolf and possibly defend myself?"

"Did it work?" Peter asked.

"No," Stiles answered. "I could tell from Lydia's and Scott's faces that you were supposed to chloroform me."

"I actually wasn't supposed to be that violent," Peter commented with a slight smile.

"Go ahead and work out your aggression. So, I had to be asleep when entering the house," Stiles concluded. "Did you and Derek get knocked out?"

"Yes," Peter answered. "It had to be the first time you entered the house, just like that boy. For some poetic fit, Scott used your bat on me."

"Where is Derek?"

"He's checking out the rest of the house very carefully. The kikimora should be confined to the basement, but Derek is going to go over every inch to be thorough and absolutely sure. We have a little time before he finishes. Tell me why this werewolf decision is difficult for you. You know all the benefits. I don't need to tell you about the reflexes, the senses, the longer life."

"It's because of the longer life," Stiles explained. "We're not sure if banshees get that. If I become a werewolf, I might outlive Lydia, possibly by a very big margin. I don't want that, Peter. This isn't something that I should even be thinking about at my age. And what about my child? I don't want to outlive my kid."

"Werewolf too," Peter replied.

"That's not a decision for me to make. What if he or she doesn't want it? Force you or Scott to bite? And what am I supposed to do about everyone else I care about? I can't imagine how Scott must feel when he thinks about his mom's mortality. Is he going to just turn everyone around here into a werewolf?"

"Why not?" Peter replied. "A town of werewolves and some other supernatural beings could be interesting."

"It's not going to happen, and you know it." Stiles sighed. "I don't want to end up alone."

"You wouldn't be."

"You know what I mean. Scott's my brother, but he wouldn't be able to replace Lydia or any children I have. And if I become a werewolf, it's just going to make me more tempted to get my father turned. I don't want to ask him to do that for me when I know he doesn't want it. That's not a decision for me to make."

Derek entered the room. "Everything's clear. Are you two ready to go down to the basement?"

"Yeah," Stiles answered immediately, not waiting for Peter to react. "Can we give her a chance before you two unleash your claws?"

"Sure," Peter said while handing Stiles his bat, "but be ready."

The three descended into the basement. They saw the kikimora sitting down by a wall near Greg's body. She immediately noticed the presence of others.

"Hello," Stiles said. "What's your name?"

The kikimora extended the claws on her hands and feet and attacked the three.

"Fine, let's do it this way, then," Stiles said, almost sounding tired.

Derek and Peter charged into battle against the kikimora. Stiles stood ready to get a hit in when he could, but ended up not being needed. Derek aimed high and Peter aimed low. Together, they eventually subdued and cornered the kikimora, who started to shift into human form.

Peter advanced, but Stiles held him back after noticing how young the kikimora looked.

"Stop," Stiles said. "It's over." He knelt down. "What's your name?"

"I don't want you in my house."

"Well, the family here doesn't want you in their house and yes, it is theirs," Peter countered.

"Including that guy over there," Derek remarked, pointing to Greg. "What did you do to him?"

"Is he in stasis?" Peter asked.

"I haven't decided what to do with him, yet."

"What's your name?" Stiles repeated.

"Holly," the kikimora responded after taking a few seconds.

"Holly, I'm Stiles. Are you looking after this house? We might be able to help you keep this house in good condition."

"The parents let their daughter make a mess," said Holly. "That wasn't good."

"Well, they're going to know that now, so it'll be better," Stiles replied.

Liam came down the stairs and observed the scene.

"He was here before," Holly said, referring to Liam.

Stiles looked at Liam. "He was just trying to help Mr. Lammin. He wasn't here to hurt you. He didn't even know you were here."

"Sorry," Liam said. "We were just curious if you all had made contact."

"Holly, things are going to be better now," said Derek. "The family here will take better care of this house. Would you please release Mr. Lammin?"

Liam approached the group.

Holly slowly held her hands out towards Greg, but then pulled back and put her hands behind herself. "No. They won't treat this house right. It's going to be Taron, next. He'll make a mess."

"Hey, they didn't know you were down here," Peter tried to argue. "They do now, so they'll be better."

"I don't want them to know about me. They will hurt me, like the others hurt my family." Behind her back, outside of anyone's view, Holly's hands turned into claws.

"The Lammins here are nice," Stiles said with Liam next to him.

"They'll hurt me!" Holly lunged forward.

Derek dodged to his left to avoid Holly. Peter dodged to his right and pulled Stiles with him, but then noticed that Stiles had been impaled with Holly's claws. Next to Stiles, Liam was also impaled. Without understanding what was happening, Liam slipped into unconsciousness, where Stiles already was.


	2. Chapter 2

Stiles woke up at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital.

"Hey, son," Noah remarked from the side.

"Dad? How long have I been asleep?"

"Almost five days," Noah responded.

"What?"

"That was a tough surgery. Your body needed time to recover."

Stiles moved to sit up, then realized he was missing his left leg. A stump was wrapped in bandages that looked old.

"Dad, what happened to my leg?"

"You were shot, Stiles. Are you repressing that memory?"

"I was fine," Stiles argued. "I was almost fully recovered."

"You were getting better, but there was an infection. You couldn't tell, but it was really bad. Doctor Reghas needed to amputate."

"I don't understand."

"Hey, you'll be fine, okay? Scott's dad took care of all the paperwork. The FBI is going to give you some time off to deal with this, so take things slow and easy. Everything will be okay."

"Dad . . ."

"Hey, you're going to get through this, just like you've gotten through everything else, okay?"

Stiles nodded unsteadily. "Where's Lydia?"

"She had to work. She'll drive back here tomorrow night after her class and she'll take Thursday and next week off. Scott is at my house now helping Natalie convert the den into a bedroom for you. It'll be the last thing he does before heading to Cleveland for a veterinarians' conference. How does staying with me and Natalie for a while sound to you?"

"What happened with Holly?"

"Who's Holly?"

"The kikimora," Stiles answered.

"Peter and Derek took care of her."

Meanwhile, Liam woke up at the Saint Gemma Rehabilitation Home of Washington.

"You're up!" someone nearby remarked.

"Kendra?"

"You know you're not the first staff member here who became a patient, but you are the first since Father Cordova started, so you're going to be getting a lot of attention and people asking for feedback about the care here. You'll have a unique perspective."

"Wait, what happened? I was in California."

"Doctor Amin says you should take your time and get things sorted out in your head. You've been through a lot physically, so your memory isn't going to be perfect for a while. Just relax and focus on recovery. Father Cordova took care of some administrative matters so you'll be able to return to working here in no time, once you're able, if you're interested."

"But what happened?"

"Doctor Amin says that you should let your memories come back to you on your own. It'll be a lot better that way."

"Knock knock," someone said behind Kendra.

"Hey, Curtis," Liam said.

"Nice to see you again, Liam. I saw that you were up, so I thought I'd stretch you a bit." Curtis wheeled Liam's bed forward while Kendra left.

"My shift's ending in about an hour," Kendra said. "I'll stop by again before I leave."

Curtis took Liam's right arm and held it perpendicular to Liam's body and stretched it out. He then rotated the arm clockwise so it was aligned with the rest of Liam's body and held it there.

"How does that feel?" Curtis asked.

"Good."

"I'd like you to try to pull back a bit. Resist me. Are you resisting?"

"Yeah," Liam replied.

"Really?"

"Doesn't it feel like I am?"

"To be honest, no," Curtis replied. "I don't feel anything, but don't worry about it. I don't need to tell you how these things take time."

"Yeah."

Curtis repositioned Liam's right arm and repeated the process with the left arm before departing.

"I'll check on you again in a few hours," said Curtis.

Back in Beacon Hills, a nurse was taking Stiles' temperature while a doctor looked over Stiles' chart.

"Why am I burning up?" Stiles asked.

The nurse showed the doctor the thermometer.

"Stiles, I'm afraid the infection spread before Doctor Reghas took your leg. We're going to administer some antibiotics, but I'm concerned that the infection has spread to too many organs."

"Am I going to be okay?"

"To be honest, I don't know. Your life could be in danger. If the antibiotics don't work, we'll consider putting you in a coma, if it's not too late."

"When will you know if it's too late or not?"

"I'll let you know as soon as I know."

"Could you have someone call my dad, please? Let him know what's happening?"

"Of course."

In Washington, Doctor Amin checked up on Liam.

"I've never felt so weak," Liam reported.

"I'm going to get a consult. This is atypical for your condition. How long have you felt this way?"

"I began feeling less strong for a while now, but it didn't feel like a problem. Lately, I have been feeling really weak. I'm getting tired easily."

"Doctor Pirkis has a lot of experience in this field. I'll ask for him to look you over. You'll be in very good hands."

"Doctor Amin?"

"What's wrong?"

"I can't move."

"What?"

"I can't move. I can look around and I can talk, but that's all. And talking is making me tired."

A wave of panic and concern swept over Doctor Amin's face. He checked Liam's eyes and other parts of his body.

Noah Stilinski went to see Stiles as soon as he could and Peter Hale followed right behind him wearing a leather bomber jacket.

"Stiles, how are you feeling?" Noah asked.

"I feel sick. The doctor is trying to not let it show, but I think there's a problem."

"Malia told me that they might put you in a coma," Peter said.

"It's too late for that. I don't know what else they can do."

"What" Noah asked.

"They don't think it'll work."

"No," said Noah. "This can't be it."

"I don't know what to think," responded Stiles.

Noah looked at Peter. "Is it too late for . . . you know, that?"

"It is a tremendous risk, but I don't see what we have to lose by trying," Peter replied.

"I'll call Scott," Noah said. "I'll ask him how soon he can come back."

"I don't think I have that long," Stiles stated. "Peter?"

"Are you sure you'd like me to do it?"

"Yeah," Stiles replied.

"It's a full moon tonight, so the reaction is going to be different from usual. We need to get you out of here as soon as we can after I bite you."

"I'll talk to Melissa about this, unless you want me to be here for this, Stiles."

"You don't have to," Stiles replied.

Noah nodded and headed out.

Peter took one of Stiles' hands. "Are you ready?"

Stiles nodded. He barely felt Peter's teeth sink into his wrist, but he did feel a subtle sense of calmness.

"How are you doing?" Peter asked.

"I think I'm okay."

"Good," Peter replied. He picked up Stiles. "Put that arm behind me."

"What are you doing?"

"We're leaving, and the security in this place has never been particularly outstanding."

Peter took Stiles to the Hale manor, built eight years ago atop where the old house sat. He was carrying him in when Stiles started coughing.

"Can you put me down?" Stiles requested. "Something's wrong."

Peter put Stiles on the stairs as Stiles started coughing up black ooze.

"No . . ." Peter quietly commented.

"It didn't work, did it?" Stiles asked.

Peter hung his head and looked away.

Stiles started coughing violently, with more ooze coming out of his mouth. He instinctively searched his pockets, then realized he was still in a hospital gown.

"I need to call my dad. Where's your phone?"

Peter handed Stiles his cell phone. "I'm sorry, Stiles."

The phone rang, but went to voicemail. Stiles sighed and looked up at the sky through a window above the front door. He saw tree branches, including three that made the shape of a 5 backwards.

"How long do I have?" Stiles asked.

"It depends, but I don't think you'll last through the night. Are you hurting?"

Stiles nodded, so Peter put his hands on Stiles and took away his pain.

"Thanks."

Peter put an arm around Stiles and the two sat on the staircase, awaiting Stiles' death.

Meanwhile, in Washington, Liam lost the ability to speak. He watched and listened as various medical professionals administered different tests. No one seemed to understand Liam's weakness. With nothing better to do, Liam closed his eyes and tried to calm himself and rest.

Stiles and Peter continued to sit in silence. Stiles stared at the backward 5 among the three branches. He then raised his head off Peter's shoulder and looked at Peter and his brown jacket.

"This isn't real. This is a dream."

"What are you talking about?" Peter asked.

"Your jacket, the branches, these bandages," Stiles said. "It's all connected to the Nogitsune, but this isn't his style. He wouldn't do this. It's like a part of me is aware this isn't real, and it's telling me so by reminding me of the Nogitsune and the tricks he played on my mind."

Peter put a hand on Stiles. "Of course this is real. I'm real."

"No, you're not," Stiles said as he looked around. "Holly? Can you hear me? Are you doing this? Holly! Come out!"

Stiles noticed that Peter had frozen in place and Holly stood at the corner of the room.

"What have you done? Why did you put me in a dream?"

"To get you away from me," Holly answered.

"Holly, the Lammins are wrong for how they're treating your house, but what you are doing right now is wrong, too, so please just stop all of this and let us help you and help the house."

"I will not trust the humans."

"Why not?"

"Because they hunted my family."

"What do you mean?" Stiles asked.

Holly began to fade away.

"Please, Holly, come back. I'm human and I only came to help. I haven't hurt you. I stopped Peter from attacking you again. I'm not here to hurt you. Not all humans are bad."

Holly re-emerged.

"Tell me what happened, and maybe we can help."

"The hunters came for my family. It must have been twelve years ago."

"I know about that," Stiles said. "That was Munroe and Gerard. You must have been really young, and I'm sorry you went through that. I helped stop the Anuk-Ite that caused that."

"You were too late. They killed my family. I hid here and my kikimora self bonded to this house. I couldn't control it. We're not supposed to bond to a house this early."

"There are a lot of supernaturals in Beacon Hills, now. There's no more hiding. Humans and supernaturals get along. You don't have to hide anymore."

"I'm stuck in this house, now! I didn't know how to bond. I did it wrong."

"Maybe we can find someone to help."

Holly's concentration briefly faltered, and Stiles caught a glimpse of the real Peter in the Lammins' basement.

"No one can help me, but you three can keep me company for the rest of my life," said Holly.

"No, I can't. I'm leaving."

"I control this dream."

"And I've been possessed by the Nogitsune, who's a lot older than you. I'm betting he's more skilled, too. He couldn't hold me, and you won't either."

In Washington, an image of Derek and the Lammins' basement flashed through Liam's vision.

"What?" Liam managed to say out loud. He noticed the people in his room moving slowly. "This isn't real, is it? This is a dream."

"What are you talking about?" Curtis asked.

"I'm still in the basement with Stiles and the Hales."

"It doesn't matter," Holly said nearby, out of view. "You're here and you'll stay here."

Everyone else in the room froze in place.

"You're the kikimora, aren't you? You're controlling this?"

"That doesn't matter, either."

"Yes, it does. You can't keep me in this dream. I'm getting out."

"You can't do anything here," Holly warned.

"I am the beta of the true alpha, and I will not be kept here."

"Wake up, Stiles," Stiles told himself in the Hale house.

"Let me out," Liam told Holly in the rehabilitation center.

"Wake up!"

"Let me out!"

"Wake up!"

"Let me out!"

Holly started to clutch her head.

"Wake up!"

"Let me out!"

"Wake up!"

"Let me out!"

Stiles and Liam suddenly jolted awake in the Lammins' basement. Peter was watching over them, while Derek was restraining Holly, who was in her kikimora state. They noticed Greg stirring awake, too.

"You're back," Peter realized. "What happened?"

"She put me in a dream," Stiles answered. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"About three minutes," Derek answered. "We were about to yell for Scott."

"Three minutes?" Liam asked incredulously as he and Stiles exchanged looks.

"You too? That did not feel like three minutes," Stiles remarked.

"Shut up!" Holly yelled. "This is my house, and you're not getting away from me. You aren't going to let anyone hurt my house!"

"We're not going to let anyone mess with the house," Derek said. "But you're coming with us and leaving the Lammins alone."

"I'm bonded. If I go away, I'll just come right back and if I don't, the house falls apart."

"I'm not sure that last part is true," Peter commented.

"It doesn't matter. Anyone have ideas on how to un-bond a kikimora from a house?" Stiles asked.

"Who are you all talking to?" Greg asked, after finally composing himself. "What's going on?"

Stiles went over to check on him. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm confused. And I need to pee."

"I haven't found any good sources on kikimoras," Peter said. "My advice is just to try the usual tactics to weaken Holly. Maybe some plants or running electricity through the structure."

"This house is made of wood, concrete, and brick," Liam pointed out. "How do you conduct electricity through it?"

A field of electric current suddenly swept through the walls, making Holly scream. The straw in her hair fell out, but she retained the tan gleam in her eyes as well as her pointy nose. The claws on her hands and feet fell off, leaving toes and fingers. Holly became visible to Liam and Greg.

"That looked like it worked," someone said. "I'm glad electrifying the walls was enough."

"Kira?" said Stiles.

"Hi, Stiles. I'm back."

Kira plunged her sword into the floor, creating a series of cracks leading to Holly, who eventually fell in. Kira then closed the gaps.

"Everything's fine, now," Kira said. "I sent her to the skinwalkers. They'll teach her to be better and give her a second chance."

Greg went to the bathroom while Stiles, Kira, and the werewolves went outside.

"Kira?" Scott and Lydia noticed simultaneously.

"You're back," said Scott.

Kira approached Scott to hug him, but then noticed Scott's wedding ring. "I'm done with training. I really missed you all."

"The kikimora's gone, by the way," Derek announced. "Kira took her somewhere and the house should be good now."

"You look exactly the same as the last time we saw each other," Scott told Kira.

"You all haven't changed too much, either."

"You really finished with training?" asked Scott.

"About seven months ago," Kira answered. "The skinwalkers wanted me to handle something first before I came back. It has to do with Hayden and Liam. Something's here. It already got Hayden, and now it's here for Liam."

* * *

Sorry if anyone was annoyed by the dream fake-out. I'm not a fan of those myself, but Stiles' and Liam's dreams do have their purpsoes. Also, it seems like dreams are a part of real kikimora folklore and I wanted to do something with that.

Thanks a lot to **warpigsofironman** for favoriting this story!


	3. Chapter 3

At Scott's and Malia's house, Kira explained her mission.

"He's a true garuda, like you're a true alpha," said Kira. "He doesn't need to shapeshift to take someone's power."

"He just touches them?" Malia asked.

"Yes, but if he wants to do it that way, he has to touch the other person a lot. He gradually takes their powers. If he wanted to go far enough, he could take their lives."

"And you said he got Hayden?" Liam asked.

"The skinwalkers noticed a large power imbalance and sent me to find out what was happening. I followed a trail of former shapeshifters and ended up meeting Hayden. She's not a werewolf anymore."

"How is she?" Scott asked.

"She's fine otherwise," Kira answered. "The garuda just wanted to take her powers. I followed the garuda to Washington, to where you worked," Kira told Liam.

"He must have gotten to me," Liam remarked. "That explains it."

"Wait, what do you mean?" Scott asked.

"That's why I came back. I've been getting weaker lately. I thought it was just because I had been away from my pack for so long. That's why I finally came back and took a job at the hospital. I thought I just needed to rejoin the pack, but it must have been the garuda."

"It's someone you'd have frequent contact with," said Kira.

"That's a long list."

Derek and Peter let themselves into Scott's and Malia's house.

"Everything's good with the Lammins," Derek said. "Greg got checked out at the hospital and now they're going to sell the house."

"But the kikimora's gone," Malia said.

"They still don't want the house anymore," Derek replied.

"What happened to you two?" Peter asked Stiles and Liam.

"I was just dreaming," Liam said. "I was back at the rehab center and I was getting weaker. I was regretting working there and not coming back to Beacon Hills."

"Stiles?" Peter prompted.

"I was dreaming of becoming sick."

"And?" Peter asked, able to read Stiles.

"And letting you bite me. It didn't take. I was dying."

"But that doesn't make sense," said Malia. "Why would she put you in a dream in which you'd die? Wouldn't that wake you up?"

Stiles shrugged

"Was Greg dreaming?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, about the house falling apart," answered Derek. "He said it was about the mistakes he made with the house. It wasn't just the daughter acting up, it's been some other things lately."

"That sounds like you," Lydia told Liam. "He made a mistake or regrets something about the house. You thought you made a mistake or regretted not coming back to Beacon Hills earlier because you thought you were getting weaker from being away from the pack."

"Maybe that's why I ended up dreaming about dying," said Stiles. "Holly was bonded to a house and she gave Greg a dream about a house. Liam and I weren't a part of the house. Maybe she didn't have enough control over us. She couldn't do a good enough job."

"Maybe that's how we broke out and Greg didn't," Liam suggested.

"Especially if we were trying to break out at the same time," Stiles said. "She's young and still learning."

"How did you know what to do about the kikimora?" Derek asked Kira.

"I didn't. I mean, the skinwalkers taught me about other supernatural beings so I knew what a kikimora is, but Peter suggested electricity so I tried it."

"You could see the kikimora?" Peter asked.

"No, but I assumed that's what was happening and you all were looking at the same direction. The skinwalkers told me to send the garuda to them if I thought he could change his ways. I thought I'd give the kikimora the chance."

"So what's going on with the garuda?" Derek asked.

"There's one collecting powers. It was trying to collect Liam's, so it's here to finish the job. At least, that's what it looks like," Kira said.

"You said you followed a trail of supernatural beings," said Lydia. "How many?"

"Five, including Hayden," Kira answered. "Two werewolves, a wendigo, a kitsune, and a chameleon."

"So there's a garuda around that has all those powers?" Stiles asked.

"Yeah," Kira answered.

"And I'm his next target. That's great," Liam commented.

"The skinwalkers think he wants the powers of the true alpha's betas before taking on the true alpha."

"I'll let my pack know," said Peter. "We'll have lookouts through the town."

"Liam, you should stay with us tonight," Malia suggested.

"Do you have room for one more?" Peter asked. "My granddaughters are Scott's betas, too, and so are you. If the garuda is in Beacon Hills, his strategy might change."

"We should send them away to be safer," Malia suggested. "I'll call my other dad in the morning. He's been thinking about going away for the weekend and I'm sure he'd love the company. In the meantime, yeah, you can stay here tonight."

"Kira, where are you staying?" Lydia asked.

"I have a hotel room. Don't worry about me. I should actually get going. You all look so tired."

"It's been a long Thursday," Stiles commented. "We should go, too."

"Kira, can you wait a minute?" Scott requested. "Can we talk in the garage?"

"Sure."

"And you," Peter addressed Stiles. "I'd like to talk to you on the porch alone."

Scott didn't wait until he reached the garage before speaking. "How was training?"

"It was really challenging, but I feel like a new person. I feel complete."

"I'm sorry if things are awkward between you, me, and Malia."

"Don't be," Kira replied. "It doesn't have to be awkward. I'll admit that when I went off with the skinwalkers, I was hoping it'd be quick and I could come back to you, but after a while, I stopped expecting you to wait for me. After all this time, it would have been really unfair to expect that. I'm really glad you found someone and started a family. You all look so perfect with each other."

"Yeah?"

"Yes, really," Kira said.

Scott went to a cabinet in the garage and pulled out a small box. "This is for you."

"My tail?"

"Yeah," Scott replied. "I kept it like I said I would."

"Thanks."

"Do you have more tails now?"

"Two more," Kira answered.

On the porch, Stiles waited patiently for Peter to start the conversation.

"It sounds like the dreams were supposed to be about existing regrets or mistakes," Peter pointed out.

"Maybe they could also be about doubts of possible mistakes. She's not perfect," Stiles quietly added.

"My point is that you're not a werewolf and you were getting sick in the dream, so it seems like the mistake is not being one already."

"That could be one way to interpret it," Stiles offered.

"What's another?"

"I don't know. Look, Peter, I'll admit I've been giving this a lot of thought and sometimes I do wonder if I'd be better off if I already was a werewolf, but I'm not closer to making a decision for the present."

"Despite the kikimora's inexperience, you getting out of that dream was impressive. Can you imagine what kind of werewolf you'd be? I wouldn't be surprised if you had true alpha potential, despite the statistical improbability."

"Just give me some more time to think about this, okay?"

Near the end of the Friday workday, Scott called Hayden.

"Hi, Scott. It's nice to hear from you again."

"Same here," Scott replied. "I wanted to call you earlier, but things have been crazy here. I heard about you losing your werewolf powers. How are you feeling?"

"I'm good. After I realized what happened, I went to my doctor and got myself checked out. She said that everything's fine with me. My blood work and everything came back normal and healthy."

Scott exhaled audibly. "That's a relief. I'm glad you're okay."

"I don't think there's any trace of werewolf left in me. My doctor didn't pick up anything supernatural."

"Hey, I'm sorry I haven't kept in touch. I should have done a better job with that."

"It wasn't your responsibility," Hayden argued. "I chose to leave with my sister and I chose to stay away. I stopped thinking of myself as your beta a long time ago."

"I still should have called you more."

"Don't worry about it, really."

"How are you doing, with not being a werewolf anymore?"

"I'm fine. I miss the enhanced senses and reflexes, but I don't mind. I don't even remember the last time I fully shifted. How's everything in Beacon Hills? You're back there, right?"

"Yeah, I'm a vet now, working with Doctor Deaton. Liam just came back and he's working at the hospital. That's actually another reason why I'm calling you."

"How's Liam?"

"He's fine," Scott answered. "Whoever turned you back into a normal human tried to do the same with Liam."

"How is he doing?"

"He's okay. He was weakened a lot, but he's been out of contact with the garuda, so he's getting his strength back. That's the person who made you human again, a garuda. Do you have any clue who that might be? We think he would have made physical contact with you periodically."

"No," Hayden answered. "I talked to Kira about this. A lot of people had regular contact with me. I have a few ideas, but I don't have any really good guesses."

Scott received a text message from Peter, which went to the entire group. One of Peter's betas reported encountering someone with varying scents.

"Hey, we just got a lead," Scott said. "I have to finish something here and then I need to run. I'll call you back. I promise."

"Okay. I'd like to know how things go."

Stiles and Malia were the first to meet up with Peter and two of Peter's betas, Rich and Lanette, at a fast food restaurant.

"Where is he?" Malia asked.

"Motel across the street," Peter answered. "We should keep our distance for now. We wouldn't want him to hear us."

Kira, Derek, Scott, Lydia, Liam, and four more of Peter's betas soon arrived at the restaurant.

"Kids?" Scott asked.

"I dropped them off with my dad. He looked like he was ready to go when I did," Malia answered.

"That's Curtis!" Liam said, noticing a man leaving a motel. "Tell me that's not the garuda."

"That's him," Lanette confirmed.

"So you do know him," said Lydia. "Who is he?"

"He's another physical therapist at my old job."

"And did you start feeling weak after you two met?" Derek asked.

"Yeah, the timing probably lines up. I can't remember for sure, exactly."

Curtis got into his car.

"He's on the move," Derek announced. "Let's go."

Scott and Malia piled into a car with Liam, Stiles, and Lydia in the backseat. Peter, Kira, Derek, and Peter's betas rode in two cars and followed Curtis.

"Where is he going?" Derek asked after they followed Curtis onto a highway. "What's northbound?"

"The girls," Peter realized. "He's pursuing the biological betas first. Set up a conference call with the other cars and put it on speakerphone.

Everyone was soon connected.

"The garuda is going after Maisie and Michelle," Peter theorized. "Kent, after he pulls off the highway, he'll hit some farmlands after a couple miles. Pull up to him and run him off the road. We're ending this."

"Okay," replied Kent, a beta and the driver of the leading car.

"The girls will be fine," Scott tried to assure everyone. "Henry and the girls have a two-hour lead on all of us."

The drive continued, mostly in silence in the three cars.

"Liam," Stiles quietly addressed. "I'm interested in hearing your take, because the circumstances of you becoming a werewolf weren't exactly fun and you had a rough time at the beginning."

"Like when you and Scott kidnapped me?"

"Scott kidnapped you!" Stiles quietly snapped back. "I just helped him keep you and tried to prevent you from escaping. That's a huge difference."

"I'm just joking. Relax."

"So, there was that and then everything with the hunters. Do you wish you were a normal human?"

"No," Liam answered.

"Did you ever, after Scott bit you?"

Liam took several seconds to think about his answer. "Yeah, I did. I think it was worst the night Brett and Lori died. I got over it. I'm glad I'm a werewolf and I'm proud to be Scott's beta."

Stiles nodded. "Thanks."

Scott and Stiles exchanged a brief look in the rearview mirror.

"Hey, Liam, I called Hayden. She's doing fine."

Liam seemed relieved. "Good, thanks. Do you think I should call her?"

"I don't think she's expecting it, but I don't think she'd ignore the call. Maybe you could update her when this is done."

Everyone soon reached a rural area and Kent forced Curtis off the road. Everyone ran out of their cars and the werewolves attacked Curtis.

Derek and Peter ran up to Curtis, slashing him. Curtis stumbled back, allowing Lanette and another beta to attack him from behind. The members of the Hale pack continued their assault.

Scott and Liam were about to charge into battle, but Malia held them back.

"Don't give him what he wants," Malia warned.

"We won't. He's not going to be able to touch us."

Scott and Liam, followed by Malia, joined the battle. Soon, Malia, Kira, and the werewolves formed a circle around Curtis and attacked him from different directions. Rich swiped at Curtis with his claws, but missed, giving Curtis an opportunity to grab Rich and throw him at Kent. With the two werewolves down, Curtis saw a hole in the formation and ran out, only to be knocked off his feet by Lydia's screaming. Kira, Malia, and the werewolves surrounded Curtis again and defeated him enough that he would need ample time to heal. Curtis reverted to his human form.

"That's a big failure, isn't it Curtis?" said Liam.

"Are you going to stop now, or will we have to stop you permanently?" Scott asked Curtis.

"I am not done collecting powers," Curtis weakly said.

"You won't get the chance and even if you did, look at what we just did to someone with the powers of six shapeshifters," Derek replied.

"Kira?" asked Scott.

"They told me to kill him if I thought it was necessary," replied Kira, referring to the skinwalkers.

Curtis turned invisible, so Peter bore down on him, plunging the claws on both his hands into Curtis' chest.

Curtis let out a scream as blood started to pour out of him.

"Did you really expect that to work when you're surrounded by werewolves?" Peter asked rhetorically.

With Stiles and Lydia joining the group, everyone watched as Curtis died.

"Is that all?" Stiles quietly asked Scott. "Is it weird that we're just standing around, looking at a corpse?"

"This was a lot easier than I expected," Liam quietly commented to Kira. "This guy was supposed to have lots of supernatural powers."

"You've got the true alpha's pack and the largest pack in California," Peter pointed out. "There's nothing that can get in our way." Peter quickly glanced at Stiles before leading his pack to their cars and home. Scott and his pack followed suit.

The next day at Scott's and Malia's, Scott and Kira waited outside for a taxi.

"My mom said she's setting up my room now," Kira told Scott.

"You look barely able to contain your excitement," Scott pointed out.

"I miss them so much, and I miss New York, too."

A taxi pulled up, so Malia, Lydia, and Stiles came out of the house and with Scott, bid Kira farewell.

Stiles stayed outside after Kira left and Lydia and Malia went back inside.

"I talked to a lot of people about this, but not you yet, strangely," Stiles said.

"I know this decision is big and it's a process. I was going to wait patiently for you. I didn't want to pressure you. And also, you understand that it doesn't have to be me, right? I wouldn't be offended if you want Peter to be your alpha."

"Is that what you want?"

"No, I would want to be your alpha. I'm just saying I'd understand if you didn't."

"Why wouldn't I want that?" Stiles asked.

"I don't know. I was just thinking about your point of view. I was thinking that I consider you and I to be equals. We wouldn't be anymore if I was your alpha."

"You think we'd be equals if I was a beta in Peter's pack?"

"No," Scott replied with a smile. "It's just a little different."

"Do you think I should become a werewolf?"

"Do you really want me to make that decision for you?"

"It'd be nice if someone did, so I wouldn't have to," Stiles answered. "I don't know what to do."

"Whatever you decide, if it's right for you, then it's right to everyone else."

"Except maybe Peter."

"Except maybe Peter," Scott agreed.

Liam pulled up in his car.

"Did Kira leave yet?" Liam asked.

"Yeah, you just missed her," Scott answered. "I know she wanted to wait, but she's eager to get back to New York, and the next flight's leaving soon."

"Oh, well," Liam replied. "I'll call her later."

"How are you feeling?" Stiles asked.

"Good. I'm feeling stronger every minute. I should be back to 100% soon."

"If you weren't a werewolf, you'd probably have avoided this," Stiles pointed out.

"If I wasn't a werewolf, I don't think Beacon Hills would still be standing, you included."

Scott and Stiles laughed loudly.

"Okay, it's not _that_ funny . . ." Liam quietly commented as he went inside.

"Hey, what do you think about buying the Lammins' house?" Scott asked. "You know they're going to list it for a good price to get rid of it."

"It'll still be more than I can afford right now. Maybe the Hale pack would be interested in expanding."

Stiles and Lydia cleared the dining room after another group meal.

"What are you thinking about?" Stiles asked Lydia.

"There was something strangely comforting about being a group again and dealing with a supernatural threat. It almost feels wrong to think that way."

"What else? I know there's something else."

"Do you remember the dead pool? Meredith Walker told me something. I can't believe I still remember it after so long, but I do."

"What did she say?"

"She said that Peter was the alpha, would always be the alpha. She said that he'd make things right. I corrected her because she thought that maybe Peter had a point, but I showed her she was wrong. I still remember what she said, though."

"Yeah and after that, Peter tried to kill Scott. He was responsible for Kate kidnapping him and Kira. Scott almost killed Liam because of that."

"I know. Do you remember back when we were still figuring things out? When Jackson and Allison were still here? Could you imagine then being on good terms with Peter in the future? When you were coming back from Mexico, could you imagine ever considering Peter kind of a friend? Or perhaps even your alpha?"

"Are you telling me what I should do?"

"No," Lydia answered.

"I wouldn't mind if someone told me what to do."

"I know."

Stiles sighed. "I'm going to talk to Scott again. Let's swing by the Hale house on the way back home."

At the Hale house, Lydia caught up with some werewolf acquaintances while Stiles and Peter talked in the backyard.

"Peter, I decided that I like who I am. I'll take what I've been given already and be satisfied. Whatever comes my way, I'll be fine dealing with it as a human."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah," Stiles answered.

"You're really going to take the hard path in life?"

"Yeah, and I'm going to nail it."

"I really do respect you for what you've accomplished as a normal human, and you could have been an incredible werewolf."

"Well, now I think you're overestimating me."

"I'm not," Peter countered.

"I already admitted to you that I've been thinking about becoming a werewolf, and I was wondering if I made a mistake in turning it down before, but I didn't need to be a werewolf to get to where I am now. I didn't need to be a werewolf to escape Holly or close a huge FBI case. I know that maybe I could be more or I could have escaped Holly more easily if I was a werewolf, but I feel good about who I am. I think I'll be fine like this."

"I know. That's why I'm not overestimating you. Stiles, the alliance between my pack and Scott's pack is tremendous. We just beat a kikimora and a garuda easily. You know you all probably wouldn't have known what to do with Holly if I wasn't there."

"I'm still a member of Scott's pack."

"You know what I mean."

"Yeah, but I still want to stay human for now."

Peter nodded in understanding. "All right."

"Maybe I'll change my mind in the future, and maybe there'll be a smaller chance that the bite will succeed, but I'm willing to wait to see what happens then."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I am."

"Okay." Peter nodded. He took hold of Stiles and hugged him tightly. Peter's eyes then glowed red and he extended his fangs, but after a brief pause, he returned to his human form. "Are you and Lydia heading back home?"

"Yeah," Stiles answered.

"Are you coming to Michelle's birthday party?" Peter asked as he ushered Stiles back inside.

"We wouldn't miss it for anything."

"I'll see you then. Take care of yourself, Stiles."

"I'll try my best."

"I know. You'll nail it."


End file.
